The Yan Mingqiu before him bore an eighty-percent resemblance to the Mingqiu in the real world. Clad in flowing white robes that made his complexion appear as porcelain-white as glaze, with a pair of phoenix eyes that were both profound and expressive, he looked indistinguishable from the real Yan Mingqiu possessing an appearance capable of captivating all living beings.
Throughout the countless days spent inside the secret realm, his heart had been consumed by a mix of anxious yearning and profound longing.
Hanzhou’s gaze locked onto Yan Mingqiu, burning with such intensity that it felt as though he wanted to pierce straight through his soul, meticulously carving every single pore and contour of his skin into his heart. Unconsciously, a murmur slipped past his lips: “Mingqiu.”
Hearing this, Yan Mingqiu furrowed his brows. “Which peak’s disciple are you? Is a mere disciple permitted to address this Immortal by his given name? You should address me as Immortal Yunling!”
Hanzhou’s body stiffened abruptly as a thought raced through his mind: The person before me is living and breathing, which means Immortal Yunling has returned from the dead? That is utterly impossible unless his soul has been replaced, meaning my Mingqiu resides within this body.
He resolved to stay behind and investigate thoroughly.
“Immortal Yunling, I am an inner disciple of Canglang Peak. This disciple knows he was wrong and begs the Immortal to spare me this once.” Hanzhou bowed deeply, lowering his head in a posture of complete submission.
Yan Mingqiu waved a hand dismissively. “Just this once, let there be no next time. Follow me.”
Hanzhou trailed behind Yan Mingqiu as they walked toward the edge of the cliff.
Pointing at a pavilion he had specially constructed for Hanzhou in the past, Yan Mingqiu instructed, “See that Cold Fragrance Pavilion? Dismantle it completely. Leave not a single trace behind.” From there, he led him across various other sectors of the peak.
“Fill in this fish pond for me, and detonate that rock formation over there…” Yan Mingqiu assigned a flurry of tasks to Hanzhou before pausing as if a sudden thought struck him. “Remind me, what is your name?”
Glancing down briefly at the stolen identity talisman, Hanzhou replied, “Answering the Immortal, this disciple is named Zhu Zhuxia.”
With a trace of curiosity, Yan Mingqiu asked, “Who gave you a name like that?”
Inventing an excuse on the spot, Hanzhou lied smoothly, “My father gave it to me. Since both my father and mother shared the surname Zhu, and they both hoped I would grow up to become a great hero (daxia), they named me Zhu Zhuxia.”
The corners of Yan Mingqiu’s eyes twitched. “Ah… so your parents shared a true love, and you were the accident.”
From that moment onward, Hanzhou began dismantling the pavilion according to Yan Mingqiu’s commands. He deliberately dragged out the work, managing to demolish a mere tenth of it over the entire course of the day.
As dusk faded and night unfurled across the mountain, Yan Mingqiu stepped outside to inspect the day’s progress.
“My word, what a complete blockhead! You’ve worked a whole day and only managed to dismantle this much? I’m almost tempted to finish it myself.”
Upon hearing this, Hanzhou dropped straight to his knees with a heavy thud, bowing his head low. “Forgive me, Immortal; it is solely because this disciple is utterly dull-witted. I seem incapable of doing anything right. The administrative manager kindly thought to assign me extra duties so I could learn by doing more, but I never imagined I would prove so thoroughly useless. Immortal, please punish me! This disciple harbors zero complaints.”
As he spoke, Hanzhou began to softly sob, his shoulders trembling rhythmically in a display of supreme pitifulness.
Yan Mingqiu: “…”
“Enough, stop, don’t cry anymore. I won’t scold you, alright?” Reaching down, Yan Mingqiu pulled Hanzhou back to his feet. “Night has fallen; you may rest now. Pick any empty guest chamber to sleep in, and resume your work tomorrow.”
At this, Hanzhou hesitated, wearing an expression that suggested he had more to say.
Yan Mingqiu: “If you have something to say, spit it out.”
“Immortal, I haven’t eaten all day, and I’m starving. I’m only at the Qi Condensation stage; I haven’t mastered inedia yet.” Before coming up the mountain, Hanzhou had intentionally swallowed a Return-Origin Qi Condensation Pill to suppress his cultivation down to the mid-Qi Condensation stage, matching the true Zhu Zhuxia’s level perfectly.
If he was going to maintain a disguise, he had to commit to it thoroughly.
With a flick of his wrist, Yan Mingqiu sighed, “Go eat at the dining hall, then.”
Looking utterly crestfallen, Hanzhou whimpered, “Immortal, the dining hall is already closed at this hour.”
“There are ingredients in the pantry; cook something yourself.” Dismissing him with a wave, Yan Mingqiu turned to leave, wishing to spare himself any further interaction.
Stepping forward quickly, Hanzhou caught the hem of Yan Mingqiu’s outer robe. “Immortal… I don’t know how to cook.”
Yan Mingqiu: “…”
Enough, I said enough!
Did I just bring home an ancestral burden?
With nobody else residing on Yunling Peak nowadays, Yan Mingqiu had no choice but to take matters into his own hands.
The two of them headed to the pantry, where Hanzhou stoked the hearth fire while Yan Mingqiu manned the wok. Their coordination proved surprisingly smooth, and within moments, two steaming bowls of beef noodles were ready.
Lifting the bowls from the stove counter to the dining table, Hanzhou enthusiastically urged Yan Mingqiu, “Immortal, come join me.”
While cultivators above the Foundation Establishment stage could subsist entirely on spiritual energy without eating, Yan Mingqiu figured he might as well sample a bite or two to reward himself for the labor of cooking.
This marked the very first time the memory-restored Yan Mingqiu had personally prepared noodles, and to his surprise, the result was exceptionally delicious the broth was rich and savory, the beef tender, the fried egg crispy on the outside and soft within, topped off with a fresh sprinkle of finely minced cilantro. It was truly a magnificent bowl of beef noodles!
Dining in companionable silence, the two finished their meals entirely undisturbed.
Lifting his bowl to drink down the final drops of broth, Hanzhou licked his lips with lingering appreciation. Memories from the original owner’s mind surfaced, recalling the exquisite golden dragonfish soup that practically melted on the tongue, prompting him to marvel aloud:
“Immortal, are you perhaps a culinary god descended from the heavens? I have never tasted beef noodles as incredible as this!”
Flattered by the praise and feeling his mood lift, Yan Mingqiu gave a soft, pleased huff. “Obviously. You’re a lucky kid; there are barely a handful of people in this entire world privileged enough to make me wash my hands and prepare a meal for them.”
“Can I have this again tomorrow, Immortal?” Hanzhou blinked his large eyes wide, gazing at Yan Mingqiu with eager anticipation.
“Eat, eat, eat, all you ever think about is eating! You really take me for your personal kitchen assistant, don’t you? Tomorrow, make sure to time yourself and eat at the proper dining hall. Furthermore, clean the kitchen thoroughly before you go to sleep!” With that final instruction, Yan Mingqiu rose and walked away.
Watching his retreating back, Hanzhou’s expression instantly cooled into ice, his mind racing: My Mingqiu was someone who completely lacked any culinary skills whatsoever. Could it be that I guessed wrong? No, perhaps the original owner excelled at cooking, and this soul possesses the original owner’s memories just like I possess mine.
After meticulously scrubbing the kitchen clean, Hanzhou deliberately selected the guest chamber immediately adjacent to Yan Mingqiu’s room. This had originally been the original owner’s personal quarters, fully stocked with every amenity. Executing a minor Cleansing Technique upon himself, Hanzhou slipped into bed.
Knowing that the person he yearned for day and night was sleeping just through the wall brought profound peace to his mind. For the first time since entering the dream realm, he drifted off into a deeply restorative slumber.
Meanwhile, down at the mountain gates, the true Zhu Zhuxia who had been locked out and forced to endure a freezing night of mountain winds due to his missing identity talisman finally spotted Manager Yu of Canglang Peak approaching at dawn.
Zhu Zhuxia had dropped his jade talisman on his way down the mountain the previous day, only realizing its absence upon returning after dark.
Emerging from the gates, Manager Yu stroked his beard and glared angrily. “You reckless brat! This isn’t the first time you’ve lost your talisman! When will you ever outgrow this scatterbrained habit?”
Tossing permission for the guard to let him pass, Manager Yu turned his back, supporting his plump, protruding belly with both hands as he impatiently waddled back inside.
Trotting closely behind him in a fawning manner, Zhu Zhuxia stealthily slipped a storage pouch directly into Manager Yu’s palm. “Manager Yu, I swear on my life there will never be a next time.”
Weighing the pouch in his hand, Manager Yu flashed a knowing, calculated smile. “Yesterday, Canglang Immortal instructed me to assign someone to Yunling Peak. Immortal Yunling has various chores that need attending to. Haven’t you always idolized Immortal Yunling? I’m handing you this opportunity go up there and do an exemplary job to make up for past mistakes.”
Beaming with uncontainable joy, Zhu Zhuxia cheered, “Manager Yu, don’t you worry! I will handle every single task Immortal Yunling assigns me to absolute perfection.”
Without wasting another second, Zhu Zhuxia scurried up the mountain toward Yunling Peak.